Research Abstracts Online
January
2008 - March 2009

University of Minnesota Twin Cities
College of Biological Sciences and Medical School
Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development

PI: Laura S. Gammill

Molecular Regulation of Neural Crest Development

The formation of an organism involves complicated cell movements, cell proliferation, and differentiation. The neural crest is a migratory stem cell type that has long served as a model for these processes. Neural crest cells migrate extensively and differentiate into many diverse derivatives including the bones and cartilage of the face, the peripheral nervous system, and the outflow tract of the heart. The goal of this project was to elucidate the molecules that regulate the formation and migration of neural crest cells. To do this, the researchers study the function of several genes using mouse and chick models. They used the BSCL and CGL to perform recombinant DNA procedures to subclone and modify genes of interest.